Some in Congress raise money off Super Bowl XLV

The Super Bowl XLV matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers is a fundraising opportunity for some members of Congress.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., is hosting his annual Super Bowl luncheon Saturday at The Palm restaurant in Dallas. For $5,000 and $4,800 respectively, political action committees and individuals who want to sponsor the lunch get a ticket to the football championship Sunday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Conyers, the longest-serving African American in Congress, recently announced he will seek re-election next year to a 25th term.

The Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog group, keeps track of all fundraisers on its Party Time site and publishes details, including copies of invitations.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, recently told Politico that the National Republican Senatorial Committee that he chairs snagged a hard-to-get luxury suite at the Super Bowl.

Cornyn called it a "great opportunity for people to combine their interest in seeing a Republican majority in the Senate in 2012 and a great football game at a superlative location."

We wonder if the NRSC will see Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at its party. Jones is a longtime supporter of GOP candidates and donated $25,000 to the NRSC in 2007, according to records kept by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The only other Super Bowl-related event that Sunlight knows about is in Georgia, where Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., is holding a viewing party and fundraiser in Columbus. PACs are asked to contribute $1,500 to be a sponsor, while individuals are asked to donate $750.

Besides Conyers, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., is the only other member of Congress in Sunlight's database to have held a fundraiser at a Super Bowl game. Scalise, who represents New Orleans, raised campaign funds last year in Miami, where his hometown Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

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About Catalina Camia

Catalina Camia leads the OnPolitics online community and has been at USA TODAY since 2005. She has been a reporter or editor covering politics and Congress for two decades, including stints at The Dallas Morning News and Congressional Quarterly. Follow her at @USATOnPolitics.